The present invention relates generally to canine accessories, and more particularly to a quick release leash assembly particularly suited for use in relation to police dogs in the law enforcement field.
As is well known, it is a common practice for many state and local police and sheriff's departments to employ the use of dogs in relation to law enforcement activities. Typically, these "police dogs" are part of a canine unit of the law enforcement agency which also includes certain officers who have received extensive training in relation to the handling of the dogs and their effective use in relation to various law enforcement techniques. These techniques include drug sniffing and, more notably, the tracking and/or apprehension of criminal suspects or other individuals.
With regard to the use of dogs in relation to the tracking and/or apprehension of individuals, it is a common practice for the dog to be maintained on a leash which is held by an officer walking beside or behind the dog as it tracks the sought after individual. At certain times, such as when the individual comes into close range or during a foot race when the individual is in the plain sight of the officer and dog, it is desirable to release the leash from the collar of the dog so as to allow the dog to freely pursue of the individual at an increased speed or to directly, physically engage the individual. In view of the dog's training and resultant desire to engage the individual, it is often difficult for the officer to gain sufficient control of the dog as is needed to facilitate the manual release of the leash from the dog's collar. This difficulty is most commonly encountered when leashes of substantial length are being used with the dog, thus necessitating that the officer "pull" the dog a substantial distance to gain access to the dog's collar despite the resistance exerted by the dog in its attempt to run in the opposite direction. As will be recognized, this delay could even provide the sought after individual sufficient time to elude the dog and the officer.
The present invention addresses the deficiencies of prior art leashes when employed in the above-described scenario by providing a quick release leash assembly which is specifically adapted to allow an officer to disengage the leash assembly from the dog's collar from a location at the opposite end of the thereof, thus eliminating the need to gain direct access to the point of connection between the leash assembly and the dog's collar. Additionally, in the present quick release leash assembly, such disengagement is achievable almost instantaneously, without requiring any complicated or time consuming manipulations of various parts or components. These, and other advantages associated with the present invention, will be discussed in more detail below.